Understanding Wi-Fi and WiMAX

as Metro-Access Solutions
White paper, Intel, 2004

IEEE 802.16a Standard and WiMAX

Igniting Broadband Wireless Access
White paper, 2003, WiMAX Forum

11 Oct 06
Daehyung Jo
cdh@mmlab.snu.ac.kr
MMLab
 Contents

1 Introduction
ƒWiFi & WiMAX

2 IEEE 802.16a
ƒPHY & MAC

3 Metro-Access
Metro-AccessDeployment
DeploymentChoices
Choices
ƒWiFi with directional antennas
ƒWiFi mesh networking
ƒWiMAX

4 Conclusion

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 WiFi and WiMAX
™Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity)
ƒ A set of technologies that are based on the
IEEE 802.11a,b, and g standards
ƒ The WiFi Alliance popularized and commercialized
802.11 standard

™WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for

Microwave Access)
ƒ Standards-based technology enabling
the delivery of last mile wireless broadband
access as an alternative to cable and DSL
ƒ The WiMAX Forum does the same role of WiFi Alliance

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 WiFi vs WiMAX

WiFi WiMAX
Standard 802.11b/g 802.16, 16e
Frequency band 2.4GHz < 66, < 6 GHz
(unlicensed) (both)
Speed (bps) 11/54 Mbps 134 Mbps
Max Distance 300 ft >10 miles
QoS NO YES
Multiple Access CSMA/CA TDM/TDMA/OFDMA
Connection type Connectionless Connection-oriented
Full Duplex NO TDD/FDD

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 Characteristics of the 802.16-2004
standard
™ Improved user connectivity
ƒ flexible channel widths and adaptive modulation
™ Higher quality of service
ƒ meet different customer requirements
™ Full support for WMAN service
ƒ support more users and faster data rates than the 802.11g
standard
™ Robust carrier-class operation
ƒ efficient multiple access than 802.11
™ Smart antenna support
ƒ to increase the spectral density
ƒ to increase the signal-to-noise ratio

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 BWA (broadband wireless access) everywhere

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 802.16a PHY Features

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 IEEE 802.16a MAC Layer

QoS support : Unsolicited Grant Service, Extended rtPS,

Real-time Polling Service, Non-rtPS, Best Effort Service

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 Wireless Technology
Usage Segments
™ Specific usage segment based on a variety of variables
ƒ Bandwidth needs, distance needs, power, user location, services offered, network
ownership

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 Metro-access solutions
™ Three key deployment types
ƒ Backhaul, last-mile and large-area coverage (referred to as hot
zones)
™ Wi-Fi with directional antennas
ƒ Focuses on patching last-mile gaps
ƒ WISPs offering alternatives to DSL and cable use this solution
™ Wi-Fi with a mesh-network topology
ƒ Covers large areas and to extend the reach of the LAN for both
indoor and outdoor applications
™ WiMAX
ƒ 802.16-2004-based devices offer WISPs a standards-based long-
range, higher performance solution

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 Increasing 802.11 Range Using
Directional Antennas
™Use the high-gain directional antenna
instead of the omni-directional antenna

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 802.11 Mesh Networking

™Multi-hop wireless networking

™Benefits
ƒ Lower initial costs
ƒ Balanced traffic
ƒ Mobility and availability
™Advantages over the
single-hop and directional
last-mile alternatives
ƒ Robustness and resiliency
ƒ Spatial reuse
• Many devices can connect to the network at the same
time through different nodes

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 802.11 Mesh Networking (Cont’d)

™ Limitations to mesh networks

ƒ A large subscriber base is needed to cover larger areas
ƒ Shared bandwidth
ƒ Latency
ƒ Proprietary implementation
ƒ 802.11s standard not ratified yet
ƒ 802.11e not widely implemented yet

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 WiMAX as a Metro-Access
Deployment Option
™Tow usage models
ƒ Fixed
• IEEE 802.16-2004 standard
• Improves last-mile delivery in several key aspects
– Multi-path interference
– Delay spread
– Robustness

ƒ Portable
• IEEE 802.16e standard
• Known as WiBro

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 Deployment Examples

™ WiMAX recommended
ƒ Last mile solution
• A WISP wants to expand its service coverage to underserved markets
ƒ Backhaul
• A carrier is deploying two new cell towers and a Wi-Fi hotspot in a rural
community within the next two months
™ WiFi Mesh recommended
ƒ A school with existing broadband access wants to expand connectivity to a
new a classroom building and the school’s main courtyard

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 Conclusion
™The best solution is a combination of
the two : WiFi and WiMAX

™WISPs wanting QoS, standards-based,

scalable solutions may use WiMAX to
cover last-mile deployments

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 Backup slides

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 Adaptive modulation and coding (AMC)

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 PHY layer technologies

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 802.16 protocol stack

- Transformation of
external network data
into MAC SDUs;
- Payload header suppression

- System Access
- Bandwidth Allocation
- Connection set-up
- Connection maintenance
- QoS

- Authentication
- Secure key exchange
- Encryption

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